Tennessee · TN · Food & drink
Tennessee: Are happy hour drink specials legal?
Allowed
Tennessee lets bars discount drinks as they see fit, as long as the price doesn't go below their cost.
State law says nothing in the liquor-by-the-drink chapter stops a licensee from offering discounts, with one limit: the discounted price cannot fall below what the licensee paid for the alcohol. The same section bars giving away free drinks, apart from one-ounce wine samples.
Conditions
- Discounted price may not be below the licensee's cost
- No free drinks (one-ounce wine samples allowed)
What the law says
(m) DISCOUNTS. Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit a licensee from offering a discount in such manner as the licensee deems appropriate as long as the discount being offered is not below the cost paid by the licensee to purchase the alcoholic beverages from the retailer.
Sources
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-4-203(m) and (e) Mirror of official text · codes.findlaw.com
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission
- Website
- tn.gov
How bordering states compare
- Alabama Allowed with limitsAlabama allows drink discounts only between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., and bans multiple drinks for one price.
- Arkansas Allowed with limitsArkansas has no happy hour rule as such, but retailers may not offer coupons, rebates, or other inducements to buy alcohol.
- Georgia AllowedGeorgia has no state rule limiting happy hour drink prices at bars and restaurants; local rules may apply.
- Kentucky Allowed with limitsKentucky has no happy hour ban, but retailers can't offer coupons on alcohol, give drinks away, or sell below cost.
- Mississippi AllowedMississippi's alcohol rules don't limit happy hour drink prices at bars and restaurants.
- Missouri AllowedMissouri has no state rule limiting happy hour drink prices at bars and restaurants.
- North Carolina Happy hour bannedNorth Carolina bans happy hour drink pricing; a drink discount must last a full business day and apply to every customer.
- Virginia Allowed with limitsVirginia allows happy hours, but not between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., and two-for-one or all-you-can-drink deals are banned.